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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Tonight my husband and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary. We went to a nice restaurant and spent 3 hours dining. It was great! We just talked and reminisced and planned together. We reviewed our hardest times and thanked God for getting us through them. And we laughed over the good times...and the not so good times. It's nice that we can laugh about certain "hurts" that were such a big deal when we were first married. God has been good to us!Something we invested in several years ago and are still using is Simply Romantic Nights by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. We actually got it for my husbands parents when we got married. They're pretty romantic already, but we thought they'd appreciate the gift. It's a nice way to reconnect and it was especially helpful after we had our first son. We just needed to refocus on our relationship and this is a great way to do it. Basically, it's a year of dates in a box (two dates a month one planned by the husband and one planned by the wife). We each take turn picking a date idea out of the box and then plan away. We usually do a date like this once every other month or so. They're really fun and really tasteful. It's a great way to get to know eachother again.

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar together. Add egg and vanilla. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Shape into balls and roll in sugar (I used colored sugar) and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and place Chocolate Star on each, pressing down so cookie cracks. Return to oven and bake another 3 minutes.

Monday, December 29, 2008

My youngest sister and I decided that we wanted to do a homemade Christmas this year. Her fiance asked for peanut butter and chocolate cookies so I made him Peanut Blossoms. And I made her a blanket. I really wanted to do something with pink and black since she likes that...but I couldn't find two fabrics that I really liked. But I found these two fabrics in thermal fabric and they were really cute together. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I really didn't know what I was doing when I started, but it turned out great! And my stripes are even straight all the way down!She made my husband and me a calendar from Snapfish. It's great because there are pictures that correspond with people's birthdays and anniversaries. Fun!!

I also started sewing a little something for myself. It's supposed to be a table runner, but I didn't want my little people pulling it off the table, so I just made something to use as a center piece. I don't have any batting right now, so I'll have to wait to stitch the batting and backing on, but I really like how it's turning out. I found some fun Christmas fabrics that were on sale. I'm also making a mod log cabin table runner for a friend...don't know who yet, but it's super cute!!

My son doesn't want to "do school" right after breakfast because he wants to go play cars. So, we'll have to rearrange his schedule and see what works better. I'd like to get it done right away in the morning, but that doesn't seem to work for him. Also, I'm going to do a better job of reviewing the books before we read them together. The book "Moonstruck" was not a great book for a 2 1/2 -year-old. I guess I'm learning along with him.

Oh, for the Letter of the Week Preparatory Curriculum we have an index card with the number of the week. He gets to put the same number of stickers on the index card. I didn't know what I was going to do with the cards, but I found a 4x6-inch picture album for $0.99 at Wal-Mart and it works great. I just made my own cover.

Yep. And I don't like it one bit. It makes me sad to think that there will be no more handmade toys sold because of the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It's great in theory: no more lead-laden toys from China. They have to be tested by a third party before they can be sold. But this isn't just for China...it's for everyone making and selling handmade toys and clothes. This includes my husband's cousin's husband (that sounded way more confusing that it really is). He makes wooden toys and it would be too expensive ($4000 per individual item) to have testing done on them, so it's likely that he won't be making toys anymore.

I don't want my kids ingesting lead, but I want them to be able to play with handmade toys too. There has to be a better way. Please consider writing to your congress persons and senators to add an amendment to this law. I'm not one for writing to government officials, but I will do it this time. There are even sample letters if you're not sure what you're supposed to say. Follow the instructions on Cool Mom Picks. (You can add the button to your webpage/blog as well.)

Thursday, December 18, 2008

I haven't made this recipe since we were first married and living in our little apartment. My mother-in-law was over for the weekend and we made this for lunch after church. I remembered it tasting good so I thought I'd give it a try with the boys. And they liked it. It makes for great leftovers.

Heat the cup of cold water in the microwave on high for 13 seconds. Pour into the bread machine pan and add 2 tsp of the sugar and the yeast and let it activate. Then add flour, sugar, butter and salt. Gramma's machine has a feature of "First Rise" in which the machine mixes and rises only once (takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes). Take bread dough out of machine and form into buns and let rise until double. If using a convection oven: bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. If using a traditional oven: bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Gramma's notes:Most bread machine recipes have you put the yeast in without letting it activate in sugar and warm water but I found that the yeast did not always dissolve and you get a better rise doing it the "old fashioned" way. It is important that the salt does not get into contact with the yeast. That's why I add the salt last or between cups of flour. The first loaf I made with my machine was only 4 inches high, after that i never followed the book instructions!!Sound like a Gramma thing?

You can make them small to serve with a meal or you can make them a little larger to use for sandwiches. They're really great because they're crusty on the outside and chewy in the middle. I was skeptical of activating the yeast because I'm a rule-follower, but it worked well and the buns are delicious.

Season ground beef with Lowry's and form into 4 patties. For each piece of aluminum foil layer: potato, hamburger patty, slices of onion, carrots and peas. Wrap each piece into a little packet. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

WednesdayTable Time: introduce letter (A), put picture on postercircle the letter 'A' on a print-out of lettersreview theme and shapeReading Time:read The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Flemingread A Particular Cow by Mem FoxMusic/Movement:listen to music while making finger-paint angels

ThursdayTable Time:introduce number (1), put picture on posteradd 1 sticker to number bookReading Time: read Daisy the Firecow by Viki Woodworthread a book from previous daysMusic/Movement:dance to music that plays 1 instrument at a time

Saturday, December 13, 2008

I'm starting a homeschooling unit for my oldest son. I'm really excited to give it a try and excited to have to get a schedule going in my life. (My youngest son slept 'till 11am yesterday...he has a cold, but seriously, 11AM!?!) I do a lot better when I have a project going. I feel more purpose-filled. It's exciting and the big nerd in me LOVED purchasing school supplies. New No.2 pencils sharpened and in a canning jar brings a smile to my face.

So, here's the curriculum that I'm using, and the books and CDs I'm incorporating into the curriculum:

I'm also incorporating the routine from FlyLady. FlyLady helps to organize your cleaning and get you on a daily routine. I used it for a good 3 months before Phin was born and then again when he was about 4 months (and sleeping through the night). About 2 months later, I got the flu or we went on a trip (somehow I got sidetracked) and haven't gotten back into the routine. So, this is the perfect time. The FlyLady site is really overwhelming but they have FlyBabies start-up to get you going. It's really been a great resource for me. And as with most of the resources I use...I only use the things I like and can fit into my lifestyle and scrap the rest.

Here's our daily routine for Mon-Fri (the times aren't as important as the order):

7:30a* wake the boys (especially the baby; oldest is usually up by 7:30a but won't be allowed out of his room until 7:30a; thanks for the advice, Monica)* start washer* breakfast and read "The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes"* baby down for nap

I know that seems really detailed, but I'm a detail kind of girl. Like I said, I posted our main times but the stuff in between can be flexible.

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Some notes on our routine:

1. I haven't done this in the past so I'm hoping this will work. I'll let you know if I have problems in certain areas and if some things aren't worth the hassle (two days to the library; putting the baby on a schedule, etc).

2. I plan on having the baby nap during oldest's school time. Our baby is a good sleeper and seems to need a lot of it, so I hope this works.

3. Check email/blog has been put into the schedule several times. This allows a lot of flexibility. I don't plan on looking at the computer everytime it's on the list, but if I run out of time to check it during one part of the day, I will have an opportunity to check it later. Once I have the routine down and make any needed adjustments, I hope to remove some of them.

4. "Free time" is actually scheduled time, but I want to have a plan each day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, free time will be more on a time-based schedule than a routine. Our library has a 20-minute storytime on Tuesdays. The remaining part of the library time will be for play and finding books for next week's lessons. On Thursday's the library has family craft time. It will be nice to have dad along for that since the baby won't enjoy the crafts as much as the oldest, so we can split up.

5. I have a women's Bible study on Thursday mornings from 9:30-11a and the oldest usually comes along with me and joins the children in the nursery while baby stays home with dad. I'm not quite sure how to do this since the oldest usually gets some "Mommy-time" when I'm finished with the study. Maybe we can just have lunch together so I can get him home in time for his nap so we can scoot to the library later in the day.

6. On days that we are out and about(Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) in the afternoon, I will take them to the park during free play, weather permitting. This will be more difficult during the winter months, but my sister-in-law does it with her little boy and I think it's worth it to get some fresh air...and not just for the kiddies.

7. We put our oldest on a bedtime routine and it has been working great. He knows what is expected of him when we tell him that it's time to get ready for bed. I also made a little print-out for him that goes on our fridge. It has the bedtime routine with pictures so he can look to see what's coming up next. (We babysat a set of twin boys for our friends, before we had kids, and their boys went to bed so well when we used their routine.) I like the idea of a routine vs. a schedule because it's not as dependent on the time.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

This is one of my favorites since I'm more of a salty-snacker than a sweet-tooth. You can easily cut this recipe in half. This is another recipe that's great for summer too because you don't have to use the oven or even the microwave. It's great for car rides and picnic lunches.

Combine all ingredients, except baking soda and popcorn, in a microwave-safe 2-quart bowl. Bring to a boil in the microwave, and boil for 2 minutes. Add soda to mixture and stir (it will foam). Pour mixture over popcorn in brown paper bag. Fold top and microwave 1 1/2 minutes. Shake and turn. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes more. (Bag will be VERY hot!) Spread on cookie sheet to cool. Store in airtight container.

"Little Women" is one of my favorite winter movies. I'll probably watch it once a month during the winter. It's so great and it reminds me of home. Anyway, I watched "Little Women" (on VHS, no less) as I dipped pretzels.

Almond Bark-Covered Pretzelsmakes 6 dozen

5 squares of almond barkmini twist pretzels

Melt almond bark in microwave until smooth (not too runny). Dip pretzels 6 at a time. Sprinkle with your favorite holiday sprinkles. I used a holiday mix of red sugar, green sugar, Christmas trees, and holly. I usually let my toddler do the sprinkles, but he's napping peacefully.

Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Spread 1/2 of the jar of peanuts on the bottom of the pan. Melt the butter and the peanut butter chips together in the microwave, then add the sweetened condensed milk. Add the marshmallows to this mixture (do not melt these) and stir. Layer this mixture onto the peanuts. Press this mixture down and top with the remaining 1/2 jar of peanuts, pressing them onto the marshmallow mixture. Cool and cut into bars.

Monday, December 8, 2008

I've been compiling a list of my favorite (and easy) Christmas treats. I want to make enough to give away and keep some at home to enjoy. Here's my list for this year. I'll get up the recipes as soon as I make the goodies. Most of them are simple recipes so I hope to get them all done this week. It should be fun!!

Friday, December 5, 2008

I've been busy with the boys putting up more Christmas decorations. It was hard last year because our youngest was born four weeks early, the day after Thanksgiving, and we were four hours away from home. This year, we visited family for Thanksgiving and I got a late start to the decorating. I should've been like my friend, Wendi, and started decorating early since we weren't even going to be home for Thanksgiving anyway.

Here are a few pictures of the red and gold Christmas balls I've been hanging on the tree for years. My mom gave me some sparkly fruit to put in a jar for my kitchen, but the fruit didn't really fit my style, but the little green balls were perfect for my Christmas decorations. Again, because I have green in my kitchen I wanted to add some green to my red and gold decorations, so here it is.Yay! It's nice when you don't have to spend so much on decorations for one month. Although, I just did some shopping to make a garland that was inspired by The Homespun Heart. I'll be working on it this weekend and hopefully get some pictures up by Monday.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I really wanted to create a new Christmas look in our home since we painted the living room and kitchen. Since the kitchen is bright green, I wanted to add some bright colors to my Christmas decorating. I have been using red and gold for the last few years so adding some bright green was not too much of a problem. I'm still in the process and hopefully I'll just get some basic items and add more each year.

This candle holder was easy to make because I already had all the items in my home. I was inspired by Monica at The Homespun Heart. I think it looks really cute and it adds the bright colors I wanted. Easy.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

We have lettuce salad as a side to our meals a lot. Sometimes it gets boring with lettuce, carrots, and ranch dressing. So I started experimenting with ingredients I'd had in salads at restaurants. Give this one a try. It's really refreshing.

Monday, December 1, 2008

There's a time, about once a month, that I fret over what I'm doing at home with my boys. I bounce back and forth the thought that I should be working and earning a paycheck. That I should use the nursing degree I worked and studied so hard for. That I could be making a difference out in the world. I start to feel insignificant and like it doesn't matter. But it does matter. I know that deep in my heart but sometimes I let those negative thoughts control my attitude and I need time to refocus my passions.

I read a wonderful article form Holy Experience this afternoon about feeling just that...insignificant and how that is a lie from Satan:

"You are not a STAY at home anything. You are a woman on the move, a woman on journey. You are in perpetual spiritual pilgrimage. You are following your Master, your children traipsing behind. Everyday you are packing up and leaving behind one spiritual, emotional, physical time and space…..you are growing, your children are growing, your role in His Kingdom is growing….and at day’s end, you are somewhere very different. In a different heart space, in a different time space, in a different spiritual space. Take it seriously. You are not stagnantly staying anywhere. You are leading your children towards the Promise Land. Don’t get side-tracked, don’t laze about, don’t linger behind….God is moving before you, the Cloud is guiding you----Pack up and follow!"

I have to stop Satan from telling me that what I do is insignificant and that it doesn't matter...that I don't matter...that my boys don't matter. I have to take a stand for my boys' souls and become their warrior. And teach them how to fight for themselves so that they can fight for their families someday.

If you have a minute stop over and read the rest of the article here. It was a great encouragement to me today!

My husband's Gramma brought stuffing to our family Thanksgiving on Thursday. It was really yummy so I was surprised to find out the secret ingredient...StoveTop Stuffing! I know. I was really surprised! It was so good that I don't know why I would spend so much time making it from scratch. She did add some special touches to make it original and I never would have thought it came from a box. So here it is:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan add onion and celery and saute until done, do not let it brown. Add celery-onion mixture to stuffing and mix in water chestnuts and moistened bread crumbs. Put in casserole and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

My husband's sister-in-law made delicious Honey Mustard Chicken Strips over the weekend so I decided it was time to share my favorite chicken strip recipe. I'm allergic to processed meat so we don't buy chicken nuggets frozen from the store, but I loved them as a kid and was really missing them. This is a great recipe for chicken strips/nuggets from Rachel Ray's Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats.

Honey Nut Chicken Sticks4 Servings (if you make nuggets you can serve more)

Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a large, shallow dish. Coat the chicken in the flour. Beat the eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Combine the cereal, bread crumbs, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, and vegetable oil in a food processor. Transfer the breading to a shallow dish.

Place a nonstick baking sheet near the chicken breading station. In batches, dip the flour-coated chicken into the egg mixture and then in the breading and place on the nonstick cookie sheet. When all the tenders have been coated, bake them for 15 minutes, or until evenly browned and cooked through. Cool enough to handle and serve, or pack up for a picnic! This chicken may be served hot or cold.

This recipe is a 30-minute meal, but the first few times you make it, it will probably take a little longer than 30 minutes.